In the realm of software development, tools that streamline code management are invaluable. One such project, Repo_Code_packager, recently saw a significant enhancement with the integration of a ‘recent changes’ filter. This new feature allows users to package only those files that have been modified within a specified timeframe, specifically the last seven days, by utilizing a --recent (or -r) command-line flag. This article details the development journey of this useful addition, highlighting a standard open-source contribution workflow.

Initiating the Development Cycle: The Issue

The first crucial step in any feature addition is to thoroughly assess existing issues and, if necessary, create a new one. Before commencing development, a new issue titled ‘Add support for –recent flag’ was filed. This issue meticulously outlined the proposed functionality, including:
* The new flag: --recent or -r.
* The intended behavior: filtering files to include only those modified within the last seven days.
* Illustrative examples of command-line usage and their anticipated outputs.
This detailed initial documentation provided a clear roadmap and ensured alignment with the project maintainers before any code was written.

Preparing the Ground: Fork, Clone, and Branch

Following best practices for Git-based collaborative development, the project repository was forked into a personal GitHub account. Subsequently, the forked repository was cloned locally, and a dedicated feature branch, feature-recent-files, was created. All subsequent development efforts were meticulously committed on this isolated branch, safeguarding the main codebase.

The Core Logic: Implementation

The primary modifications were concentrated within src/main.py. The key technical changes included:
* Timestamp Verification: Implementing logic to ascertain the modification timestamp of each file.
* Refined File Discovery: Integrating the timestamp check into the file discovery process, ensuring that only files modified within the past seven days are considered when the --recent flag is active.
* Enhanced Output: Adding a new ‘Recent Changes’ section to the program’s output, providing clear visibility into the filtered files.
These updates collectively enabled the tool to intelligently filter and package relevant files based on their recent activity.

Ensuring Quality: Rigorous Testing

Thorough local testing was paramount to validate the new functionality. Commands such as python src/main.py . --recent and python src/main.py . -r -o recent-output.txt were executed. The primary objective was to confirm that, when the --recent flag was used, both console output and saved output files exclusively contained files modified within the designated seven-day window. The tests confirmed the feature functioned precisely as intended.

Bringing it Home: The Pull Request

The final phase involved pushing the feature-recent-files branch to the remote repository and initiating a Pull Request. The PR description was crafted to be comprehensive, encompassing:
* A concise summary of the new ‘recent changes’ feature.
* Detailed insights into the implementation specifics.
* Practical examples of its usage, complete with code blocks.
This comprehensive Pull Request facilitated a smooth review process and the eventual merger of the new feature into the main project.

This successful integration of the ‘recent changes’ filter significantly enhances Repo_Code_packager, offering developers greater control and efficiency in managing their codebases by focusing on actively modified files.